Decorticating-machine.



PATENTED JUNE 21,l 1904;

P. P. FAURE. DEGORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 14, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No xonBL.

PATEN'I'ED JUNE 2l, 1904. P. P. FAURE. DECORTIGATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1902.

UNITED STATES Patented June 21, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DECORTICATING-NIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,170, dated June 21, 1904.

Application filed May 14, 1902. Serial No. 107,329. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PIERRE PAULIN FAURE, builder, of' 21 Place du Champ de Foire, Limoges, Haufe-Vienne, Republic of France, have invented Improvements in Decorticatiug-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in the decortication 'of' ramie and other textile plants and leaves.

The improvements consist, essentially, in first subjecting the stalks of the ramie to the action of a preliminary breaker and afterward to that of a purifier or finisher, in which the stalks are passed between different pairs of pallet-drums so disposed that the pallets of the two drums of each pair will intermesh, the vseveral pairs of drums being rotated at different speeds, so as to exert a scraping action upon the fibers and so entirely f'ree them from all foreign matters adhering thereto or entangled therewith. These two apparatus may either work in conjunction or separately. In the first case they would constitute a continuous machine, receiving at the ingoing end the stalks to be decorticated and deliver the deeorticated fibers or stricks at the opposite end completely purified.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a continuous machine for carrying out this improved method of decortication.

Figure 1 is an elevation of' the entire machine. Fig. 2 is a detail diagrammatic view of' the preliminary decorticating machine. Fig. 3 is a detail diagrammatic view of the finisher or purifier.

The same letters of reference denote like parts in the several figures.

As shown, the apparatus essentially comprises a primary apparatus A for effecting a preliminary decortication, which is driven Vfrom any suitable source of power applied to a pulley F, and a second finishing or purifying apparatus B, the stalks after having been subjected to the action of the first apparatus A being conducted, by means of a conveyer t, to the second apparatus B and the completelypurified stalks being conducted away from the latter by the conveyer t. The first apparatus A (shown more particularly in Fig. 2) essentially comprises apair of' feed-rollers c c', a beater-cylinder b, and breast 1)', provided with two spring-abutments e e'. rIhe breast b is made in one with a metal frame b2, movable about`an axis Z13, having two spring-abutments e e', the one e being radial both to the axis of beater I) and the center of oscillation of breast t', thus permitting of the latter receding from the beater b. The other, e, is arranged vertically and permits of the breast b receiving a constant vibrating movement while the apparatus is in work. The exact adjustment of position of the breast L with relation to the tips of' the blades of beater I) is effected by means of an eccentric shaft, upon which is keyed the hand-wheel V. The motion transmitted to pulley P, which is keyed upon the beater-shaft is transmitted, by means of band-pulleys, to the return-pulley R and feed-roller c, which is geared with the feed-roller c.

The finisheror purifier B, Fig. 3, consists of' a series of intermeshing pallet-drums, of' which the first pair, rl, conduct and retain the stalks delivered to them by the conveyer t. The second pair, d', cleans the stalks by a vigorous scraping. The third pair, d, exerts a slight drawing and at same time a cleaning aetion upon the stalks. In certain cases a pallet-roller ZW may be disposed beneath the last pair of drums r for the purpose of assisting in the laying out straight of the cleaned stalks upon the conveyer t. The drums of each pair are geared together, as shown in Fig. 1, in adddition to which the several pairs are respectively driven, by means of' belting or toothed gearing, at different speeds, according to the work they have to perform. A sheetiron screen g receives the pelliclos and other debris thrown off by the pallets. rfhe number of' pairs of pallet-drums may be increased or reduced, according to the work to be done.

Motion is transmitted by band M, Fig. 1, from apparatus A to apparatus B and thence to the conveyer t by the band M.

The breadth of the machine may be as great as convenience will admit of'.

The operation of' decorticating is effected as follows: The stalks to be decorticated are TOO placed upon the table T and pass endwise through guides provided in the apparatus A to the feed-rollers c c to be submitted to the action of the beater and breast whereby the woody portion of the stalks is immediately broken, besides which, owing` to the surface speed of rotation of the beater-drum being considerably higher than the rate of feed of the stalks, a drawing action is exerted upon the stricks, which facilitates the separation of the woody portion. Moreover, the breast b', owing to its resting on springabutments, receives a constant vibratory movement, which, in combination with the tractive effort exerted by the beater-pallets, produces a stripping aetion having for effect to free the fibers from their pellicle and extraneous matters. The separated matters, consisting of the woody portions, pellicle, gummy and other matters, are projected from the machine by the centrifugal force of the beater-drum, and the fibers on leaving the first apparatus fall onto the conveyer t, which delivers them automatically to the finisher or purifier B. In this machine the fibers are subjected to the action of several sets of pallet-drums, which complete their purification by removing the particles of wood and other foreign matters which may have remained entangled, after which the fibers are delivered to the conveyer z', by which they are carried away and from which they are taken in a perfectly-pure condition similar to china-grass.

This system of machine is capable of treating as many stalks as can be fed in ata time, thus furnishing the highest possible rate of production and without any waste of fibers. Moreover, the product obtained is of a much superior quality, so that the machine produces at once both quality and quantity.

The herein-described machine may be varied in form and dimensions, and the accessory arrangements may loe modified to suit the nature of the application. i

I claim- A decortieator for ramie and the like, comprising rolls between which the stalks are fed, a beater-wheel for breaking said stalks and separating the fiber from divers coarse impurities, a shaker-frame for continuously agitating said stalks while the same are being operated upon by said beater-wheel, a conveyer for removing the fibers, a plurality of drums arranged in parallel consecutive pairs and provided with intermeshing members, and means for rotating said pairs of drums at different speeds for the purpose of scraping said fiber.

The foregoing specification of my improved method of and apparatus for decorticating ramie and other textile plants and leaves signed by me this th day of April, 1902.

PIERRE PAULIN FAURE` W itnesses:

E. DELARBRET, I). THOMAL. 

